Pipe-laying apparatus.



w. L. CHAPMAN. PIPE LAYING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 13, I916.

Patented Mar. 27, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

INVENTOR.

W. L. CHAPMAN.

'PIPE LAYING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED JULY 13. I9I6.

1,220,187. Patented Mar. 27, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

wrLLmu L. CHAPMAN, or BROOKLYN, NEW Yoak.

PIPE-LAYING arraim'rus.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Ma ama. 27, 1917.

Application filedjuly i3, 1916. Serial No. 109,032

' To all whom it may con am:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM L. CRAP- MAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Brooklyn of the city of New York, in the State of New York, have invented an .ll mprovement in' Pipe- Laying Apparatus, of which the following is a specification. This invention relates more particularly tothe means forsupporting' and advancing a pipe laying apparatus in which a line of pipe, the sections of which have been fitted together at a point above and remote-from where they are to be laid,- the line of pipe thus formed being lowered into position by means of the apparatus. The general features of such apparatus are more particularly described and illustrated in my companion applications, Serial Nos. 109,033 and 109,034, bothfiled July 13, 1916.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated one embodiment of the present improvements, in which I I Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the apparatusas a whole, the improvements being applied thereto;

' Fig. 2 is a detail plan view on a larger scale, showing the connections of the towing lines (to be described presently) to the scow or other support which is used to sustain the so-called launchings 'd Fig. 3 is another detail plan view showing the lower end of theskid and the manner of of the fluctuations caused by the rolling of j attaching the towing line; 1

Fig. 4 is a lan view of said scow, the anehoring devic therefor being indicated in dotted lines;

Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively a front and side elevation of asling and its supporting sheave which is used to suspend the skid from the scow; and

Figs. 7 and 8 are similar vie'wsof a modified form of sling and-its pivot connection with the scow.

Referring first to Fig. 1, which shows the general view of the apparatus, it will be seen that the skid forms a curvilinear launchway for the line of pipe which isdischarged from its lower end, and the sections of pipe of which are united at its upper end;

This skid is suspended from a scow or other support 1 so as to have free lateral play which is advantageous in taking care the scow or any surging motion. For this purpose, it is provided near ltsupper end with a supporting yoke consisting of a cross bar 50 and a sling 51, the bar being secured to' the skid by means of'universal joints 52 a and the: sling being passedover an eccentrically pivoted sheave 53 (Figs. 5 and 6). .This sheave forms a part ofa frame 54 which .is rigidly secured to the scow 1' and over-' When the boat rolls, the eccentric pivoting of the sheave tends to cause the pivot to turn in the sheave without affecting the skid at'all'; and. whenever,-from'any cause, the skid itself tends to move laterally in respect to the? SQOW, the eccentric pivoting of the sheave tends immediately to bring it back again to center. I I

In Figs. 7 and 8, instead of having an eccentric sheave which the sling passes over, as around a pulley, there is rovided a collar'55 having a pair of pro ecting lugs 56 which are engaged respectively by cables 5'1 which thus connect the rod-5 0 with said col lar. This alternative form (the form shown in Figs. 7 and8) was used at the commencement of operations in the apparatus at the Narrows in New York harbor, to which I have alluded in both of the above identified companion applications filed herewith; but it was later superseded in said apparatus by the form shown in Figs. 4 and 5 whichI prefer to use, owing to the advantage which the eccentric sheave gives in minimizing-the motion of the skid. Y

For the purpose of advancingth'e skid, it. was explained in my companion application Serial No. 109,034, above identified that the rear anchor lines were loosened and the for- 1 being drawn along with the scow through rigid frame 54:. For the purpose of securing it to the lower end of the skid and equaliz ing the draft upon each end of the hue so scow over sheaves 20 journaled upon t e that the pull will be evenly distributed between both sides of the skid, a sheave 58 is provided through which the towing line 19 passes, and said sheave. isconnected to the skid by a sling 59, the ends of which arefastened on each side near the bottom of the skid. The ends of the towing rope 19 pass backwardly along the frame 54 to yielding connections 21 whereby they are secured to the frame. The purpose of these yielding connections is to keep the towing rope taut at all times and prevent any impact caused by the surging of the scow; for in addition to its function of towing, 'the rope 19 acts at all times to keep the skid in its true relation with respect to the scow. I When the scow is advanced by pulling on the forward anchor lines and loosening the rear anchor lines, the towing line hauls the skid forward by drawing on its lower end. In'this way, the skid is strained less than in the case where the skid is pulled at its forward end alone.

In addition to the towing line 19, there are provided towing lines 60. Normally, this additional pair of towing lines is allowed to remain slack, in which case they perform no function whatever. The slack, however, is very slight so that in case the towing line 19 should break, the additional towing lines 60, or one of them as the case may be, comes immediately into play and may be used until a repair can be made of the original towing lime or lines. The additional towing lines have no yielding connections but are rigidly secured, as indicated, to the skid on the one hand, and the scow on the other.

It will be unnecessary to, refer to the operation of the apparatus beyond what has just been described. Reference should be 'had to my companion applications for a completer description of the entire apparatus.

-' port including a sling and an eccentric sheave pivoted to said support and over which the sling passes.

3. In a pipe laying apparatus, the combination of a scow, a supporting frame secured thereto and overhangingthe scow, a

stantially parallel to said skid whereby the skid is advanced by drawing on its lower end.

5. In a pipe laying apparatus, the combination with a support, of a skid for sliding the pipe into position secured at its upper end to the support, means for preventing the sidewise roll of the scow being communicated to said skid, and towing wires to advance the skid secured at or near the lower end thereof and passing forward to a point of attachment on the support near the upper end of the skid. v 6. In a pipe laying apparatus, the combination with a support, of a skid for sliding the pipe into position, means to secure the upper end of the skid to the support, a towing line secured to the lower end of the skid, a pair of sheaves on the support around which the ends of the towing line are passed, and independent yielding connections on the support to which said ends of the towing line are secured after passing, over the sheaves.

7 In a pipe laying apparatus, the combination with a support, of a skid for sliding the pipe into position, secured at its upper .end to the support, a towing wire to advance the skid secured at or near the lower end thereof and yieldingly connected to the support so as to remain substantially taut at'all times, and an additional towing wire connected to the lower end of the skid and to the support so as to remain normally slack.

8. In a pipe laying apparatus, the combination with a support, of a skid for sliding the pipe into position, secured at its upper end to the support, towing wires to advance the skid secured at or near the lower end thereof and extending substantially parallel to said skid, whereby the skid is advancedby drawing on-its lower end, and yielding connections between the skid and the support whereby said towing wires act as well to maintain the lower end of the skid in its true position at all times.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this tenth day of July, 1916.

' WILLIAM L. CHAPMAN. 

